Bead Giveaway Blog Hop ...

Hello and welcome to the 'Kaz Baildon Bead Giveaway Blog Hop'. Way back in October a group of designers where randomly selected receive a free bead or beads from a huge stash very kindly gifted to me by the super talented glass artist Kaz Baildon. Since then the recipients have been working on designs for jewellery, accessories or ornaments using those beads and today's the day they reveal what they've made. I don't know which beads went where so I'm really looking forward to seeing the results.

This is the bead I kept to use for myself and yes, I forgot to photograph it before I made my piece! I thought the tartan like design was rather fun and the shape was something different to work with. Unfortunately things didn't quite go to plan for me...

As always I left everything until this last week having decided that being a last minute Mary is part of my genetic make up and there's no point trying to change now. But since late last week I've been somewhat under the weather and for the last few days have been confined to bed dosing myself on antibiotics and painkillers. So when I did get around to starting on my design on Monday I had to limit myself to simple ideas and tools that I could use from bed - no sharp objects or heat involved here then.

Anyway, all that aside I had already decided I wanted to make something fun and as the focal is quite detailed I thought a simple treatment was suitable. I also happen to have a rather large jar of odds and ends of lampwork spacers so I had a good sort through those and came up with some in co-ordinating colours. I've got a bit of a thing for stringing and knotting with cotton and linen at the moment - I think it's because after working with metals so much when making my components it makes a change to use something different in my jewellery designs. I used a Double strand of waxed linen and strung the spacers so that the 'ring' side was featured rather than the edge of the bead. Kaz's focal was strung onto the linen as a pendant and I left tails beneath it which I finished with little Czech glass beads and the necklace is finished with a simple brass lobster clasp. As I've said - quite simple but I hope you like it none-the-less.

Now, I don't usually make holiday themed jewellery but when I was clearing up the beads there were a pair that had a definite seasonal feel to them so I thought I'd make a little extra item. I knew I had just the right beads to turn these 'cool' lampies into a pair of seasonal earrings which I thought would be a nice tribute to Kaz who I happen to know is besotted with earrings and has a huge collection of them. So here we have a pair of icy, alternative Christmas trees complete with red Czech glass 'tubs' and Hematite stars...cute huh?

Just before before you dash off to see what everyone else did with their beads, you might recall that in addition to the beads I gave away for this blog hop, I also promised a grab bag of beads for one lucky person from the original list of commentators. Well this is what's in that grab bag...

And I'm delighted to announce that this will shortly be winging it's way to...

Leigh Thow of JewellrLeigh

Congratulations Leigh, I hope you enjoy creating with your early Christmas present.

So let's get back to the bog hop then...I hope you'll join me and come and check out all the other participants designs using the links below - now that I can do from bed! Many thanks to Kaz for her very generous gift of the beads that made this event possible and of course, to everyone who has taken part in the hop - I hope you had fun designing with your surprise beads and who knows...maybe we can do it again next year...

Lesley Watt - www.thegossipinggoddess.blogspot.com
Cory Tompkins - http://tealwaterdesigns.blogspot.com
Rebecca Anderson - http://songbeads.blogspot.com
Marie Cramp -   Marie is unwell and has had to withdraw
Claire Braunbarth - http://smittenbeads.blogspot.com
Heidi Post - http://http://expostfactojewelry.blogspot.com
Tiffany Smith - http://southerngalsdesign.blogspot.com
Sharyl Macmillan-Nelson - http://sharylsjewelry.blogspot.com
Ailsa Cordner - http://www.bramalfiebeadsetc.co.uk/
Linda Landig -  http://lindalandig.wordpress.com
Caroline Dewison - http://blueberribeads.com
Renetha - http://lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com
Kari Asbury - http://hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com
Niky Sayers - http://silverniknats.blogspot.com
Purple Cobwebs - http://www.purplecobwebs.blogspot.com
Cilla Watkins - http://www.tellyourgirlfriends.com/
Therese Frank - www.theresestreasures59.blogspot.com
 Claire Ennis - http://clairescrystalclassics.blogspot.com
 Emma - http://apolymerpenchant.blogspot.com
Kathy Lindemer - http://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com 
Alicia - http://www.allprettythings.ca
Sandy Huntress - http://keepsakecrafts.net/blog/
Lori Bowring Michaud - http://artfullyornamental.blogspot.com
Amy - http://copperdiem.blogspot.com
Katherine Gale - http://terrabeadworks.blogspot.com

Lesley

Art Jewelry Elements - First Post...

Good morning lovely people...

 

Beads by Kaz Baildon

Today sees the publication of my first article on the Art Jewelry elements blog so I do hope you'll come over and check it out. As I'm the first person from the UK to join the team, I've used the opportunity to showcase some of the home grown talent that excited and inspired me (and still does) when I first took up jewellery design .

I'll be posting on AJE at least once every two weeks on Thursdays so do join up to follow if you want to be among the first to read about  what I and my talented colleagues have been up to. There's also an AJE Facebook page you can follow where you can interact and tell us what you've been up to and what you'd like to see on the blog

Have a great day all.

Lesley